Dhanteras Gold Fund Buying: Buying gold on the occasion of Dhanteras has traditionally been the choice of investors. On this occasion, people consider it auspicious and buy gold and also see it as a medium to create wealth in the long term.
Symbolic picture. file photo
Today the whole country is celebrating Dhanteras. Buying gold on the occasion of Dhanteras has traditionally been the choice of investors. On this occasion, people consider it auspicious and buy gold and also see it as a medium to create wealth in the long term. However, this year there is a lot of fluctuation in the prices of gold and its returns have also been much less as compared to last year.
After giving an excellent return of 74.9 percent in the year 2025, gold prices have increased by only 8.2 percent so far in 2026. The fall in gold prices has also affected the returns of gold mutual funds. Despite this, since last Dhanteras, the top-five gold funds have given returns of around 18 to 19 percent.
Top-5 gold funds gave 19% return
According to data available on Value Research, Axis Gold Fund and Kotak Gold Fund topped the list with 18.52 percent returns. After these, SBI Gold Fund gave 18.49 percent return. Whereas, the return of Aditya Birla Sun Life Gold Fund was 18.33 percent and the return of Nippon India Gold Savings Fund was 18.22 percent.
| gold fund | Return (%) |
|---|---|
| Axis Gold Fund | 18.52 |
| Kotak Gold Fund | 18.52 |
| SBI Gold Fund | 18.49 |
| Aditya Birla Sun Life Gold Fund | 18.33 |
| Nippon India Gold Savings Fund | 18.22 |
Source: Value Research | Returns based on 4th November. All figures are from direct plan.
Gold’s rise stops, long term expectations remain
After giving an excellent return of 74.9 percent in the year 2025, gold has given a meager return of only 8.2 percent so far in 2026. After reaching a peak of Rs 1,74,638 per 10 grams on January 29, 2026, gold price closed at Rs 1,43,552 per 10 grams on November 5, 2026 (Thursday). In this way there has been a decline of 17.8 percent from the peak level.
Last year, on the day of Dhanteras (18 October 2025), the price of 24 carat gold in the domestic market was around Rs 1,30,860 per 10 grams. Before Dhanteras 2026, its price remains in the range of Rs 1,40,000 to Rs 1,41,500 per 10 grams. In this way, gold prices have increased by about 7 to 8 percent on an annual basis.
According to experts, factors like inflation, bond yields remaining at high levels and monetary policy tightening have dominated price movements in the short term. These have had a heavy impact on the factors that support gold prices in the long term. However, experts believe that the reasons for investing in gold in the long term still remain.
Also Read: Preparing to buy gold on Dhanteras? Why is it important to be cautious amid price fluctuations?
How will gold prices behave in the future?
Tapan Patel, Fund Manager, Commodities, Tata Asset Management, believes that factors like concerns over global economic growth, central banks diversifying their foreign exchange reserves through gold purchases, the trend to reduce dependence on the dollar and risks related to America’s financial condition may continue to strengthen gold and silver prices in the long term.
They also believe that changes in geopolitical developments could alter macroeconomic conditions, which could impact precious metals prices. The increasing uncertainty in global markets has also increased the importance of including commodities other than gold and silver in the investment portfolio. Situations like war, trade conflicts, epidemics and changing weather patterns can cause sharp fluctuations in the prices of various commodities.
Due to this, investors have started understanding the role of commodities to bring diversification in their portfolio. Instead of chasing the recent rally, investors may consider keeping a fair share of commodities in the portfolio to protect their overall investment.
Is it a good time to invest in gold this Dhanteras?
According to Dhruv Joglekar, Assistant Fund Manager, Monarch PMS, gold’s performance in 2026 should be seen in the context of the huge rally seen last year. In this highly volatile year, despite the fall in prices, the returns from gold have been much better than the usual capital-protection benchmarks.
According to Monarch Networth Capital, the sharp fall of about 30 percent in gold prices in 2026 was mainly due to excessive risk-taking investments in the market and reduction in debt-based deals. This does not indicate a fundamental change in the long-term bullish trend.
Joglekar says, “For long-term investors, this Dhanteras is a good time to start investing in gold. The excess speculation in the market has now ended, while the fundamental economic factors supporting the prices are still intact.”
However, experts advise investors to avoid making investment decisions based only on recent returns. Gold can help diversify investment portfolios and hedge against economic and geopolitical uncertainties. But the investment share should be decided according to personal financial goals and risk taking ability.
Source: hindi.business-standard.com
